Ocala, Florida School Shooting: 1 Injured; Suspect In Custody

Friday, April 20th 2018, 9:21 AM CDT

Updated:

Friday, April 20th 2018, 9:35 AM CDT

By CBS News

MARION COUNTY, Florida -
One student shot another in the ankle at a Florida high school and a suspect is in custody, authorities said Friday. CBS affiliate WKMG reports the shooting happened Friday morning at Forest High School, which was put on lockdown. The injured student was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Police say the suspected shooter is also a student at the school. His age was not immediately available.

The shooting happened as students around the country prepared to walk out to protest gun violence on the anniversary of the massacre at Colorado's Columbine High School.

Chris Oliver said his 16-year-old son, a Forest student, told him the shooting happened near his classroom. The boy told Oliver the shooter was standing in a hallway and shot at a closed classroom door. The shooter then dropped an unspecified weapon, ran and tried to hide, the boy told his father.

All students were being taken by bus to First Baptist Church of Ocala, where parents can pick them up, officials said.

School district spokesman Kevin Christian sent a recorded phone message to parents by phone urging them to stay away from the school.

"We are asking the citizens to avoid the area," deputies said on Facebook, according to WKMG. "Parents please stand by for further direction from the school on how to pick up your children."

Forest High has an enrollment of more than 2,000 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

The shooting comes on the same day many schools across the country are holding walkouts to protest gun violence. The Columbine High School shooting occurred on April 20, 1999.

Sponsored Content

Keep up-to-date with everything that happens in your world.

Sign-Up

We promise to never spam you. You can opt-out at any time. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for additional information.